Researchers tracking hundreds of thousands of people over three decades have pinpointed what may be the ideal dose of strength training for a longer life: roughly 90 to 120 minutes per week.
The finding, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, challenges the notion that more exercise is always better. Study participants who hit that range experienced a 13% lower risk of death from any cause, a 19% reduction in cardiovascular death, and a 27% drop in neurological disease mortality. Bumping up beyond 120 minutes yielded no additional survival benefit.
The real payoff came when people combined strength training with aerobic activity. Those clocking high levels of both types of exercise cut their mortality risk by as much as 58%.
The research drew on three major long-running health studies spanning 1992 to 2022, capturing data from 147,374 participants. Researchers examined exercise habits reported every two years and tracked outcomes over the three-decade period, during which roughly 36,000 participants died.
Aerobic benefits alone were substantial. Any amount exceeding 7.5 MET hours per week (a measure of calorie burn relative to rest) was tied to a 26% to 43% lower mortality risk. But combine that with 60 to 119 minutes of strength training weekly, and the protective effect jumped to 45% lower risk. When aerobic activity reached the highest levels, the mortality advantage climbed to 53% to 58%, regardless of how much weight work participants did.
Strength training appeared to offer cancer protection at lower doses than needed for other benefits. Even just 1 to 29 minutes per week showed a 21% lower risk of cancer death.
The 90 to 120-minute sweet spot applied to weight lifting, bodyweight exercises like push-ups and squats, and lunges. Aerobic activity covered brisk walking, running, swimming, cycling, tennis, and strenuous outdoor work.
Researchers acknowledged important caveats. The study was observational, meaning it documents associations but cannot prove strength training directly causes the mortality reductions. Participants self-reported their exercise habits, introducing potential inaccuracy. The analysis also excluded some strength training forms like Pilates and calisthenics, and lacked data on workout intensity or duration.
At the study's outset, participants averaged 54 years old. Those reporting higher strength training volumes tended to be younger, weigh less, and maintain healthier overall lifestyles than sedentary peers.
The researchers concluded that the dose-response pattern they observed supports current public health guidance recommending both aerobic and resistance training to maximize lifespan. Different amounts of each may optimize different health outcomes, they suggested, but the combination proved most potent.
Author Jessica Williams: "The finding that more isn't always better is refreshing in a fitness world obsessed with volume. The 90-minute ceiling suggests smart training beats grinding away endlessly."
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